AS HEATWAVE LOOMS
Firefighters tighten grip on California blaze
Agence France-Presse
First Posted 09:30:00 07/09/2008
LOS ANGELES -- Firefighters took advantage of cool weather and calm winds to tighten their grip on wildfires in California as the prospect of a forecast heatwave loomed over the region on Tuesday.
A total of 323 fires remained active, according to California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection figures on Tuesday, with more than 630,000 acres (255,000 hectares) scorched since the firestorm erupted on June 20.
Around 18,400 personnel are deployed across the state, with fires near Santa Barbara, 103 miles (165 kilometers) north of Los Angeles, and Big Sur, 120 miles (193 kilometers) south of San Francisco, commanding most attention.
With a lull in temperatures and winds, firefighters have been able to make significant inroads into the two fires that have ripped through tinder-dry brush and chapparal in the Los Padres National Forest.
The Gap fire, near Santa Barbara, which has burned 9,710 acres (3,930 hectares) since July 1 and forced the evacuation of more than 1,700 homes at one stage, was now 50 percent contained. Only 275 homes remained under evacuation orders on Tuesday.
Captain Eli Iskow of the Santa Barbara County Fire Department said the weather had allowed crews to make steady progress as they sought to stop flames heading toward isolated canyon properties and homes.
"We're way ahead of the curve," Iskow told the Los Angeles Times. "With a lot of hard work, we may not let it get there."
The fire near Big Sur, which was at 80,186 acres (32,450 hectares), was now 18 percent contained. Official updates cautioned however that the potential for growth in both fires remained high if winds and temperatures rise.
On Monday around 36,000 homes in the region were left in darkness after fires knocked out power lines.
A heatwave is expected to arrive in the fire-stricken region on Wednesday, bringing temperatures of around 90-98 Fahrenheit (32-37 Celsius)
In Los Angeles County meanwhile, National Weather Service forecasters have issued an excessive heat warning for Tuesday over mountainous regions. The warning means a prolonged period of dangerously hot temperatures will occur.
California is frequently hit by scorching wildfires due to its dry climate, Santa Ana winds and recent housing booms which have seen housing spread rapidly into rural and densely forested areas.
In October, devastating wildfires were among the worst in California history, leaving eight people dead, destroying 2,000 homes, displacing 640,000 people and causing $1 billion in damage.
|
